Louver and louver bracket for fluorescent light fixtures



1951 w. P. CROCKETT, JR 2,537,305

LOWER AND LOUVER BRACKET FOR FLUORESCENT LIGHT FIXTURES Filed Dec. 27,1948 Patented Jan. 9, 1951 UNITE SKATES? LOUVER AND LOUVERIBRACKET FOR-FLUURESCENT EIGHT FIXTURESQ William P. Crockett, .l'i i, Chicago, 111.

Application December 27, 1948;..SerialNo. 67,519

3 Claims. 1 v The present invention relates -to a louvre forfluorescentlight fixtures. Louvres in general are well-known-and oneofthe purposes-of a-'=louvre' is for the diffusionof the light.

An object of the present invention is the pro visionrof'a' novel louvrewhich can'be easily and readily applied to the fixture;

Another object of'the present invention is the A'further object is theprovision of a louvre having a novel construction whereby the aboveobjects are carried out and which has a pleasing appearance. 7

With these-and other objects in View, my invention consists in theconstruction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of mydevice whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinaftermore fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side view of the louvre of the present invention appliedto a fluorescent strip bOX;

Figure-=2 is-a view from the left of Figure 1 showing the louvre inclosed or in its fixed position;

Figure 3 is a View similar to Figure 2 but shownow abandoned. Theconnecting fins and thelongitudinal fins thus occupy, the same radialthe light tube can be inserted or removed;

Figure 4 is an enlarged view taken on line 4--4-'of'Figurea1 and showingone of the hinged brackets from the side opposite to that of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail View taken on line 5 5 'of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5, but showing one end of thesupporting bracket sprung. to position for opening the louvre; and

Figure 7 is a detailed view illustrating an alternate .type of pin forsecuring the louvre in fixed position, and oriented as if taken on line1-'-T-l'iof Figure 4.

7 Referring. now in detail to the drawings, Figure 1 shows the louvre asa whole at I2, shown secured to a fluorescent strip box M. The strip boxl Lis ordinarily secured to the ceiling as indicatedJin. Figure 1 andis..in the form :of. an

elongatedggenerally rectangular shape. The details of the strip' box isitself do not form a part of the present invention andltmayisufiice tosay that thestrip box is provided with a pair off'sockets' I 6which'are'disposed'adjacent to the ends of the box and extending downwardly;

therefrom; A fluorescent'light tube [8 is intsertedin the socketsin aconventional manner 1 which is 'merely by moving the tube verticallyinto the'socketsan'd rotating-the tube.

Th'e'louvre I2 is generally of cylindrical form and" includes .aplurality of longitudinal fins 20 disposed generally radially of theaxis of "the louvre and arranged aroundacentral space indicated at 22.The longitudinal fins 2c are interconnected'by a plurality ofconnectingfins 24 Whichiareannular in shape. and comprise a:

greaterpart of a circle. The connecting fins 24 lie in planes disposedtransverse to the axis. The longitudinal finsZO and the of the louvre.connectingfins 2 5 are both provided with slots extending partiallytherethrough. Such interlocking of fins may be conventional. asunderstood .by those skilled in the art or they maybe secured togetherbya novel construction form.- ing thesubject matter of my copendingapplication, Serial No. 67,520, filed December 27, 1948,

projectionand form an annular shapeoccupy= ing the greater part of acircle or cylinder. The terminalv ends of the connecting vfins 2 may beprovided with peculiar shape as indicated at. 26 .for the sake ofappearance and form, the.

ets 32 are the same or symmetrical. with respect toleach other .andadetailed description of one willsuffice for both. Reference may behadto Figures 4, 5 and 6 for a'complete illustration of the'brackets32.Each bracketincludes a flat portiont adapted to .fit fiat against theunder- I side of the strip box l t. The fiat. portion 34 is. providedwith laterally spaced lugs 36 which are offset upwardly (or towardthestrip. box) from the .plane of the fiat portion 34.. The undersurface .ofthe strip box is provided witha pairv of .laterallyspacednotches 38 forthereception otthe lugs .36. The .lugs .36 are inserted inthe... notches.,38,.andithefiat portiona i isthen positioned fiatagainstthe strip box.. The fiat portion 34 is provided with a center hole morethe receptionnoiv a metalv screw .7 40 .which. then: is

threaded through a hole in the undersurface of the strip box; thebracket 32 is thus secured to the strip box.

Formed integral with the fiat portion 34 and disposed at an anglethereto, is a portion 42 which in the present illustration extendssubstantially vertically. The angled portion 42 has a peculiar formationin keeping with the general appearance of the louvre, but comprisesessentially, laterally extending ears 44 and 45. The ear 46 has an outerextension 48 which forms a grip for manipulating it. In this respect thetwo brackets 32 differ, namely, the grip portions 48 extend out the sameside of the louvre whereby the brackets are not similar, but in otherrespects the brackets are identical. Secured in each of the ears 44 and46 is a pin 58 which extends axially of the louvre and the pins in thetwo brackets 32 extend in opposite directions.

The fiat portion 34 is provided with lugs 52 extending laterallyoutwardly from the ends. The lugs 52 are bent downwardly from theportion 34 and extend into proximity to the ears 44 and 49 and arespaced a short distance therefrom. The ears 44 and 46 are springable,that is, they may be sprung out of the normal plane of the portion 42 asindicated in Figure 6, and into engagement with the respective lugs 52which form stops for limiting the extent of the springing movement ofthe ears.

The louvre is secured to the pins 50 in the ears 44 by springing thoseears toward each other, aligning the holes 30 therewith and permittingthe ears to spring back into position whereby the pins enter the holes.The louvre at this point is free to swing on the axis of the pins in theears 14 which are aligned axially with respect to each other and thisaxis is parallel with the axis of the louvre. The louvre can then beswung to the position shown in Figure 3 whereby the light tube l8 may beinserted or removed from the sockets 60. After the light tube ininserted, the louvre is swung over the light tube to the position shown.

in Figure 2. The grips 48 are sprung toward each other and the louvremoved so that the holes 30 are in line therewith and then the grips 48are released and the ears 55 spring back into their normal position andthe pins enter the holes.

The lugs 52 being positioned adjacent the ears 44 and d6 serve as stopmeans for the ears so that the latter can not be sprung any greatdistance out of their normal position.

Figure '7 shows an alternate type of pin 54 secured to the ears 4%. Thepin 54 has an inclined surface 55 so arranged that when the louvre isswung to its closed position, the fins 28 engage the inclined surfaces55 and spring the ears and after the pins enter the holes 30 the louvreis locked in position.

From the above it will be seen that the louvre can easily and readily bemoved into and out of final fixed position. The louvre is made of simplematerials almost all of which are punch press items. The louvre can bemade any length to fit the various lengths of fluorescent strips.

While I have herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of myinvention, manifestly it is susceptible of modification andrearrangement of the parts without department from the spirit and scopethereof. I do not therefore wish to be understood as limiting myinvention to the precise form herein disclosed, except as I may be solimited by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A louvre for use with a light fixture with a supporting surfacehaving holes therein, comprising, a grille element having spacedmarginal edges, a pair of brackets spaced transversely of said marginaledges, each bracket having a portion fitted fiat on said supportingsurface, said fiat portion having an offset lug inserted in one of saidholes, said fiat portion having a hole for insertion of a screwtherethrough and through another of the holes in the supporting surface,each bracket having a portion extending at an angle to said firstportion, each angled portion having opposite ears extending laterallytoward said marginal edges of said grille element, each ear having meansfor supporting said grille element at one point on one of its marginaledges.

2. A louvre for use with a light fixture with a supporting surfacehaving holes therein, comprising, a grille element having spacedmarginal edges, a pair of brackets spaced transversely of said marginaledges, each bracket having a portion fitted fiat on said supportingsurface, said fiat portion having an ofiset lug inserted in one of saidholes, said fiat portion having a hole for insertion of a screwtherethrough and through another of the holes in the supporting surface,each bracket having a portion extending at an angle to said firstportion, each angled portion having opposite ears extending laterallytoward said marginal edges of said grille element, each ear having a pinextending substantially parallel with said marginal edges, the pinslongitudinally aligned extending in opposite directions, said grilleelement having holes in said marginal edges for receiving said pins,each car being springable an amount at least as great as the length ofits pin, and lugs on said first portion of each bracket extending intoproximity with the outer ends of said ears, said lugs forming stop meansfor limiting the springing movement of said ears.

3. A grille element for a light fixture louvre, comprising, a pluralityof longitudinally extending fins spaced circumferentially around acentral space and axis and having a component extending radiallytherefrom, and a plurality of axially spaced fins lying in planestransverse to said axis and interconnecting said first fins, saidconnection fins having a contour such as to lie within the radial limitsof said first fins, said connecting fins being arcuate in shape andextending more than half a circle, and extending beyond thecircumferentially outermost longitudinal fins, and the circumferentialterminal ends of said connecting fins being spaced apart for theinsertion of an object therethrough into said central space, certain ofsaid connecting fins having holes in said terminal ends for reception ofsupporting means.

WILLIAM P. CROCKETT, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,119,359 Schepmoes May 31, 19382,250,954 Hagerty et a1 July 29, 1941 2,299,276 Kirlin Oct. 20, 19422,429,141 Taylor Oct. 14, 1947 2,431,656 Barker Nov. 25, 1947 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date 498,677 France Oct. 5, 1919

